For
Julia, the Duchess of Colton, such a ruse promises to be foolproof. After all,
her husband has not bothered to lay eyes on her in eight years, since their
hasty wedding day when she was only sixteen. But what begins as a tempestuous
flirtation escalates into full-blown passion—and the feeling is mutual!

Could the man the Courtesan Duchess married actually turn out to be the love of
her life?

I am not really into "courtesan" books, not because I feel that all the heroines of the book should be pure, far from it. I think it's just because they seem to be bold and slightly deceitful, that I find it hard to like their characters. So when pouring over the list of books to review, I was unsure if I wanted to read it, but in reflection, I am so very glad I did.

So what should a Duchess do when her her abandons her and his cousin reduces her living allowance so much, that she is about to lose everything... She tracks down her husband and tricks him into giving her a baby. Well this is what Julia, Duchess of Colton, so she chooses to use the last of her money, to pay the Ton's most prized Courtesan, to teach her how to attract her husband.

So off she goes to Venice with the aid of a close friend and ensnares her husband and has 7 magical days. But what neither of them realize the danger they have trust themselves into.

This was such an enjoyable book that kept me gripped until the end! The plot was perfect, no plot holes, the writing was smooth and the characters were believable.

I give The Courtesan Duchess 9 out of 10 and I look forward to the next book in the series

Award-winning
author JOANNA SHUPE has always loved history, ever since she saw her first
Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. While in college, Joanna read every romance she could
get her hands on and soon started crafting her own racy historical novels. She
now lives in New Jersey with her two spirited daughters and dashing husband.